On Tuesday, Citi adjusted its price target for Tencent Music Entertainment Group (NYSE:TME), reducing it to $14.50 from the previous $15.00 while reaffirming a Buy rating on the company's shares. The adjustment follows Tencent (HK:0700) Music's third-quarter earnings for 2024, which were largely in line with market expectations. The company's reported addition of 2 million new users exceeded both the guidance range and Citi's own projections.
Management at Tencent Music expressed a commitment to pursuing high-quality growth throughout the fourth quarter of 2024 and into 2025. This strategy focuses on a balance between increasing the number of new subscribers and average revenue per user (ARPU), along with a gradual improvement in gross profit margin (GpM) and net profit (NP). An important achievement highlighted by the management was the growth of Super VIP members, which reached a significant 10 million milestone after approximately a year of promoting the initiative.
The company's management anticipates a normalization in the social entertainment revenue trend. They expect this normalization, combined with balanced growth between new additions and ARPU, to drive an acceleration in top-line and profit growth for 2025. Citi's revised price target is based on an 18 times multiple of the company's projected 2025 earnings per share (EPS) of $0.80.
Citi views the recent weakness in Tencent Music's share price following the results as an enhanced opportunity for investors to buy into the company. The firm's analysis suggests confidence in the company's growth trajectory and its ability to deliver value to shareholders in the forthcoming year.
In other recent news, TensorMigs Entertainment Group (TME) reported strong growth for the third quarter of 2024. The company's total revenues surged by 7% year-over-year, reaching RMB 7 billion, while its online music services revenue grew by 20% to RMB 5.5 billion. This was largely attributed to a similar rise in music subscription revenues, which hit RMB 3.8 billion. The company's adjusted net profit and IFRS net profit also saw a significant rise, with increases of 35% and 29% respectively.
TME's SVIP membership base surpassed 10 million, and the company's gross margin improved significantly to 42.6%. These recent developments were largely due to an expanding paying user base and effective cost management. The company also reported that diluted earnings per ADS increased by 36% year-over-year to RMB 1.01.
Looking ahead, TME plans to focus on enhancing user engagement and maintaining subscriber growth, expressing optimism for the growth trajectory for the years 2024 and 2025. The company aims to continue expanding its SVIP memberships and improving operational efficiencies, investing in high-quality content and innovative technologies to foster a vibrant music ecosystem.
InvestingPro Insights
Tencent Music Entertainment Group's (NYSE:TME) financial health and market position align with Citi's optimistic outlook. According to InvestingPro data, TME boasts a market capitalization of $17.2 billion and a P/E ratio of 22.3, reflecting investor confidence in its earnings potential. The company's strong financial position is underscored by an InvestingPro Tip indicating that TME holds more cash than debt on its balance sheet, which provides financial flexibility to pursue growth initiatives.
Despite a slight revenue decline of 5.81% over the last twelve months, TME has demonstrated impressive profitability with an operating income margin of 22.48%. This efficiency in operations supports management's focus on high-quality growth. Another InvestingPro Tip highlights that TME has been profitable over the last twelve months, reinforcing its financial stability.
The company's strategic initiatives, such as the Super VIP program, appear to be paying off, as evidenced by the significant user growth mentioned in the article. This is further supported by TME's high return over the last year, with a one-year price total return of 58.1% according to InvestingPro data.
For investors seeking more comprehensive analysis, InvestingPro offers additional tips and metrics to evaluate TME's investment potential. Currently, there are 5 more InvestingPro Tips available for TME, providing deeper insights into the company's financial health and market position.
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